Congrats to the Lakers, who won the NBA Finals! As a fair weather fan, I am excited to see another sports title head to
As for the big club, they look like they are doing well, with the exception to the Red Sox! It is strange to see they have not beaten them yet, but as long as they keep battling for first place that is all that matters. Hopefully in October when they are making their playoff push that these early games against the Sox don't come back to haunt them.
As for us down on the farm, we are counting the hours until the All Star Break! Haha. We are all looking to catch up on some rest and leisure time.
A couple of teammates and I went to go see The Hangover the other day. It is one of the funniest movies I have seen in a long time. I was laughing so hard my stomach was hurting. And it is getting great reviews by the critics. So if you haven't seen it yet, get to the movies this weekend!
Well that's it folks, I hope you have enjoyed my blog over the past several weeks. Thank you to all who took time out to read and respond. I had a great time sharing my experiences with you this first half of the season, and am looking forward to a great second half of minor league baseball!
Matt Cusick
]]>Draft day is here, which for those of you who don't know, is the day when dreams become a reality. Over the next day or two many amateur baseball players will be drafted by one of the 30 major league clubs and turn professional on their way to realizing their dream of a major league ballplayer. Two years ago I was in there position, and it seems like just yesterday. I wish all of them the best in their professional careers.
The Tampa Yankees are doing well, winning 3 of our last 4. However the other day, my roommate Tommy Baldridge, got re-assigned to low A Charleston. He got moved when we were on the road, so all of his belongings including his car are still here in
In our clubhouse we recently got a ping pong table. This, of course, has now occupied most of my downtime during the day. The team is so competitive and soon we are going to have a tournament to see who is the team ping pong champion. The early favorite is outfielder Jack Rye, nobody can seem to beat him!
Well, that's all for today everyone. God Bless and have a great week!
Matt Cusick
]]>The other day after a day game I went to go see the new movie Angels and Demons. I saw The Davinci Code and also read the book, and I thought this movie was just as good. Tom Hanks and Ron Howard are a great duo, and I recommend seeing it if you haven't already.
I also saw X-Men: Wolverine and The Terminator. Both were action adventures that were sequels to the originals. If you are in the mood for cheap entertainment and good special effects, these movies are good for you!
Also recently, if you do not follow college baseball, the NCAA playoffs have begun. This weekend is the first round regional bracket. A few of my teammates and I are following the games on ESPN. Although USC did not make the tournament, Coastal Carolina and
I have also been following the NBA playoffs. I originally predicted the Cavaliers taking on the Lakers, but
That's all I got this week, thanks again to all those who follow the Tampa Yankees and my blog. God Bless.
Matt Cusick
]]>Speaking of special nights at the ballpark, next week we will be wearing new pink uniforms to honor all those affected by breast cancer. After the game we will be auctioning the jerseys off and the money goes to a good cause, so please contribute if at all possible!
Today's game was a great one! We were trailing 3 runs with two outs in the bottom of the 8th inning when all of the sudden we exploded for 7 runs to take the lead! It was by far our best comeback win of the season to date.
After the game the Tampa Yankee Booster Club was nice enough to sponsor a hearty meal for all the players. Last year when I played
Over the past couple of days I have been calling some of my ex-teammates and talking to them about how their season has been going. I have talked to a couple guys who are in the Astro system, along with one of my good friends who plays in the Dodger organization that I played with in college. I have played on so many teams throughout my amateur and professional career that it's nice to stay in touch with some of the guys. I have made some life long friends in baseball.
Me and some of my teammates visited the Dallas Bull last week for a country music concert. It was a great venue and I really enjoyed myself. Thanks for all the great suggestions!
Until next time,
Matt Cusick
]]>I am blogging to you today from the road, in particular Brevard County. It is raining cats and dogs here. In the next two days the weather channel is predicting 5-7 inches!! Some of my roommates and I just ate across the street for lunch, and had to ask two random strangers for a short ride back to the hotel! It was raining that hard. God Bless them for being so kind and offering us all a ride.
Being on the road in minor league baseball is much different than playing at home. First, we travel from hotel room to hotel room, with more room key cards in my wallet than debit cards. Also, since none of us have cars, we are forced to eat whatever is within walking distance of the hotel. And if nothing is around, get used to calling Dominoes and Pizza Hut. Needless to say eating healthy in the minors is a really tough thing to do.
We also spend a lot of time reading, watching TV, and ordering movies from our hotel room. There always seems to be more down time when you're playing on the road than when you are at home. Fortunately in the Florida State League travel is a piece of cake. The longest trip we have is about 4 hours, compared to 12 hours last year when I was in the SAL league. Some of those trips were brutal!
This morning we went to the local gym and lifted weights for about an hour. Lifting weights during the season is much different than the offseason. In season it is all about maintenance lifting, and trying to keep body weight. We usually lift twice a week in season. You can't go to heavy and risk getting sore, since you play every day. Whereas the offseason lifting regiment is much harder. It is usually for a couple hours a day for 5 or so days a week, and I am constantly sore!
We just recently got some new players to the squad, Walter Ibarra and Brian Baisley. They have been contributing both to our offensive and defensive game. While I am on that topic- that's another tough aspect the regular fan may not know about the minors. In a week or two you could be sent off to another team in a different state or time zone. Some guys on our team have been sent to Charleston, South Carolina (Low A)and Trenton, New Jersey (Double A), other New York Yankees minor league affiliates. It really is a wild lifestyle.
Well, that's all for now. I will be back in a week or so to update again! Thanks to everyone who reads and comments.
Matt Cusick
]]>Today is an off day for us, and we do out best to take advantage of them. (We only get about 1 every 2 weeks!) I use off days as time to relax and get away from baseball. I am probably going to head to the pool since it is such a nice day here in
I will also be tuning in later to watch the Laker game. I am not a huge basketball fan, but I used to go to a few Laker games back in college. Our campus is literally walking distance from where they play. I would like to see the Lakers go all the way, although I don't see anyone stopping Lebron James and the Cavaliers right now. They look unstoppable.
Thank you all for your cooking comments. My roommate Eric just recently bought 'A Man, A Can, A Plan' and has put together a few recipes. The cornbread casserole is really good!
I have not been to the Dallas Bull, although I have heard of it. In fact, some of the guys were talking about going to see country singer Eric Church perform there in a couple weeks. I will definitely visit there before my days in
That's all for now, thanks for reading and Happy Mother's Day!
Matt Cusick
-Errors and omissions-
Over the past week I learned how to properly spell "Yuker". "Euchre" is how it is spelled in Webster's. I didn't major in English so your gonna have to take it easy on me! Also, I was informed by one of our coaches, Tim McIntosh, that "barbequing" is when you are cooking our for at least 3 hours, while "grilling" is the proper terminology used for cooking for less than 3 hours. Back in
We are about one month into the season, and our team has hit its first major speed bump. We all know that the season is a long grind, and the key to being successful is working hard and trying to limit the inevitable tough times. Everyone on the team is battling through this, and I am confident that things will get better in no time.
Our team chemistry is great. We have the typical jokesters on the team who keep the clubhouse fun and loose. Most of the guys, including myself, play cards in the clubhouse to help pass the down time. I have already learned some new games like Golf, Rummy, and Yuker.
Enough about baseball. My roommates, Eric Fryer and Tommy Baldridge, love cooking and barbequing after games. It gets tough though because we are so hungry after the game and don't have the patience for lengthy recipes. If you guys have any good recipes that are quick and easy, please send them over! We would greatly appreciate it.
I also love country music.
I am also a huge fan of the TV show "The Office". In fact, a huge fan is an understatement. I cannot get enough of Michael and Dwight. I also watch Seinfeld, Family Guy, Entourage, Two and a Half Men, and King of Queens on a regular basis.
Well, that's all I got for today. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask, and I will do my best to answer them all next week. Until next time, go Yanks!
Matt Cusick
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This week we continued the same schedule as last week. I will be staying in Extended Spring Training to continue rehab until I am healthy and ready to play in games. I started throwing again, and that went well. I haven't started taking batting practice yet, but I anticipate I will start this upcoming week. A lot of people are asking when I will be ready and where I will be. That is another tough part about our life as Minor League players. You never know where you will be or what the team has planned for you, and even if you did, plans can and will change all the time. I do know it will be at least a few months before I will be able to play infield and I am hoping I will be able to DH within the month.
This weekend I was able to do a few fun things. On Friday night a friend of mine invited me to the Chris Tomlin concert that I wanted to go to. Chris Tomlin is one of the most talented worship leaders in the World as well as an amazing song writer. So I was really excited to have the opportunity to go to the concert with some of my friends. The concert was really good and after the concert we went out to eat and ten minutes after we sit down the band walks in. We got to meet the band and hang out with them for a little while. On Saturday after practice I meet my friends Garrett and Daniel in St. Pete to check out the Indy Car race that is going on in downtown St. Pete. I had been to an Indy car race when I was young and really enjoyed it, so I wanted to go again. It was also a great experience, to see cars going upwards of 200 mph in downtown! We didn't see the main race, but there was another race going on and some other stuff.
Thanks again for reading have a great week and God Bless!
]]>Not a whole lot happened this week off the field. Like I said before I have been so tired I have just wanted to hang out and relax, but I was invited to share my testimony and some of my knowledge about hitting with a local high school baseball team. I really enjoyed talking with the kids about life and baseball. It also reminded me how blessed I am. Sometimes I forget where I am and how far I've come to get here. It has become "normal" to me that I am a professional baseball player with the New York Yankees. But in reality there aren't many people in my position or that have been able to learn so much about baseball. So it was exciting to be able to hang out with some kids and share with them a little of what I have learned, but more importantly show them that they can achieve their dreams.
I started hitting off a tee and taking some soft toss this past week. My shoulder continued to feel better and get stronger, so tomorrow I am planning on taking batting practice and picking back up my throwing program. There is only one week left of Spring Training, which I can't believe, and it doesn't look like I will be ready to play at the start of the season. This is disappointing, but all I can do is take it one day at a time, work hard, and hope for the best.
Thanks again for taking to time to read my blog. I hope that everyone has a great week. Next week the teams will be assigned and everyone will head off to their respective team, so catch up with me next week!
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On Wednesday we had a shortened day, partly to give us a little rest since we are going seven days a week, and also to recognize the teams in our organization that won championships (this year our AA affiliate the Trenton Thunder and our AAA affiliate the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees both won championships). We were off a little early so my roommate from last year, Carmen Angelini, and I decided to have a little cook out and have some guys over to hang out. It was a blast. We ended up having about 6-8 guys over, Carmen after some trouble getting the coals burning grilled some amazing chicken and steak, while I took care of the side dishes. It was really nice to have a relaxing home cooked meal with your teammates away from the baseball field.
This week I continued to rest my arm. My arm is feeling better than last week so I was able to start swinging again. Off the field, I spent most of time my time resting, which consist of hanging out, reading, and watching 24. Playing every day is already starting to catch up with me plus I am fighting off a cold and allergies.
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Hello again fans! Spring Training started on Monday and with that comes longer days and shorter nights. This was a really busy week for me for a couple of reasons. Most of the guys show up before 8 am and don't leave till after 3pm. Which may not sound too bad, but when you are in uniform out in the Florida sun most of the day, it wears you out. We also had a lot of boring mandatory meetings that make the days a little longer, and on top of that I had a couple of doctor appointments. Lastly, my girlfriend came to visit me, which I really enjoyed but that kept me busy as well. We went out on a couple of dates to catch up and watch some movies. Many of the minor league players have girlfriends, and it is tough because we move around so often, therefore we are forced to have long distance relationships. We have Spring Training in Tampa, Florida, we play our regular season somewhere else, and then most of us move home in the off season which is in another place still. So it makes relationships harder.
Spring Training started well for me, but then took a turn for the worse. I started taking batting practice and continued my throwing program, but later in the week my arm started getting sore. Since then I have taken a step back to let my arm calm down and recover. This was disappointing, but at the same time I was thankful that nothing was seriously wrong and my arm was just overloaded with all the new activity. Mom, Dad, Johanna: thank you for all your prayers.
During the first week of Spring Training we start with the basics. Infielders went over things from how to field a ground ball to how to take leads off the bases. Pitchers moved quickly from throwing bullpens to live batting practice. They have also spent numerous hours taking PFP (Pitchers Fielding Practice) and conditioning. The last few days we have started doing more team work, such as bunt defenses, cuts, relays, and pick-off plays. Spring Training goes by quick, we have already started facing live pitching and this next week we will start playing games.
God Bless, Have a great week!
]]>This week I spent a lot of time reading and working on school work. School work? That's right; I am taking a couple of classes online right now because I want to continue my education and eventually graduate. I am actually taking a study break as we speak to write this blog. I have wanted to finish the Government course before Spring Training, but I didn't quite make it. O well. I also, finally, picked up a book that many people had been insisting I read, "Beyond Belief" by Josh Hamilton. The book is about Josh's childhood, his fall into drug abuse, and eventually his incredible comeback and where he found "The Strength to Come Back". The book lived up to the hype that so many people had built. I finished the book in a few days, most of that reading done in one afternoon. If you are interested in a true story of baseball, heartbreak, overcoming amazing odds, inspiration, or encouragement I would strongly recommend it.
Well, tomorrow is the first day of official Spring Training, which marks the beginning of another season. Over the next month our performance will determine where we will start the beginning of the 2009 season. So I can say with fairly good certainty that the guys are resting right now, getting ready for the upcoming week. Everyone has arrived now and completed their physicals, which were finished this morning.
Next week I will give you a report on what Spring Training is really like. Have a blessed week and thanks again for reading!
]]>Practices are gradually getting longer to get us ready for Spring Training, where we will be on the field from 9am till 4pm. My shoulder is continuing to get better. I am throwing and hitting off a tee now, and each day my shoulder feels a little better than it did the day before. I am anxiously waiting for the day that I get to take batting practice. It has been exactly five months since I have taken batting practice and that is one of the things I miss the most.
This weekend was another eventful weekend for me; I am trying to do as much as I can right now because soon it will be all baseball. On Saturday one of my friends invited me to go to the Yankees game against the Twins. I had actually really wanted to go to a Spring Training game because I had never been before. It was really exciting because as a Minor League player you don't get a chance to see many Major League games because you are always playing. After that, I went out to the Strawberry Festival in Plant City, about 30 minutes outside of Tampa. The Strawberry Festival is an annual event that started as a celebration of the new harvest and is now ranked as one of the top festivals in North America. It is a fun event with carnival rides, exhibits of agricultural, fine arts, and history, as well as concerts at night. I splurged and had some of their famous strawberry shortcake, which I have to say is the best I have ever had. Finally, I went to the Third Day concert that night which was really fun.
Thanks for all of the comments and God Bless!
]]>Right now players are starting to arrive to get ready for the upcoming year. I have already been in Tampa a month rehabbing my shoulder that I had surgery on at the end of the 2008 season. Our practice time right now is a little less strenuous than spring training will be. We get to the field around 8:30 in the morning to get ready for practice which starts at 10. Right now we have individual objectives to work on to improve our game. During a practice, we rotate through about 5 twenty minute stations and then we lift weights. Most of us finish our day between one and two o'clock in the afternoon.
Everyone is enjoying their last few weekends off before we start "the grind," where as you know we will be playing baseball 7 days a week for the next 7 months. Some of the guys went to the Monster Truck Jam at Raymond James Stadium this weekend. I had a blast! It is pretty cool to see a 15 foot tall truck fly 30+ feet in the air and run over RVs!
Until next time...